French Riviera

French Riviera has to be my favorite part of France for sure! Next time I feel like a beach getaway, ill sure be back!

This place is just to good. The banks and cliff faces are covered with French provincial holiday homes painted yellow or pale pink, covered in shutters and wrought iron balconies. Where the view of the ocean is so clear it almost looks like part of the sky in the distance. All the homes are luxury real estate with massive yachts, and flashy cars. The views while driving down cliff face roads, is pretty gobsmacking, I've never seen a coast so pretty!

French Riviera is the capital of french perfumes so our first stop was to a perfumery to see how perfume was made and to purchase some scents. And of course I bought more than a couple!

Afterwards we headed in to the main town of Nice. Again the landscape was just as amazing up close as from the top of the cliffs driving down. All old corner buildings, lane ways and the best beach. My friend and I decided to hit the old town streets to weave around all the tiny lane ways and found a whole lot of markets. Filled with local designers, unlimited patisseries, souvenirs, street performers, restaurants for a mile, and beautiful homewares.
We spent all day there and wandered up to the beach to catch some sun.

That night we took the bus to Monaco, the second smallest country in the world. It is still run by a monarchy and a Prince called Prince Albert. Monaco wasn't  famous for much around the 1940s, so the current Prince decided to marry a celebrity to bring publicity. He had his eye set on Marilyn Monroe but after denial he married Grace Kelly. Grace Kelly attracted a lot of fame and celebrities. Hence today it to be a "rich and famous" city. To become a citizen you have to ask the Prince himself, and people such as Elton John have been denied! So pretty sure I can't move there anytime soon. Lol

We headed to the famous Monte Carlo Casino!! It was the most fanciest casino ever! Walking in the door we passed Bentley, Lamborghini, Porsche, and Rolls Royce cars. The decor was laced in gold trimmings, columns, marble floors and grand rooms with a couple of betting tables. We only had an hour so I decided not to go in because I was pretty sure minimum bet wasn't going to be cheap! So I headed to Buddha Bar and just the same decor, the ambience although was pretty stuck up I thought. Old wealthy men with the most stunning woman on their arms hardly smiling or conversating. The music was even a bit echoey and sombre as if something you'd see in a movie when someone walks into a club and the gangsters are lounging down the back with beautiful women and champagne around them. So we stayed for one €20 cocktail (approx $30-40AUD) but I assure you it was entertaining to people watch and to have mixed with a whole different genre of people. After our cocktail we left and headed back for the contiki bus.

Today up bright an early, off to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and then Florence Italy to visit a leather making factory.

The weather has been perfect here but I'm getting pretty homesick for my own room and sharing a bus and everything is taking a toll. So lucky there is beautiful scenery to enjoy and zone out to. Did I mention also our first entree in Antibes, where we were staying was Frog legs!! Taste and texture was exactly like chicken wings, except very bland. It kinder left a grisly taste afterwards though. (bet ya cringing Aunty!?) hahaha. I attached a picture of a whole tray of them, pretty sure they'd breed them because there were hundreds at dinner time.

Wifi is more limited so doing my best to get back to you all!!

xoxo